The Business Of Sports Scheduling

A company called Optimal Planning Solutions now counts MLB and NFL on its list of clients. The firm partners with Dash Optimization, which develops and markets logistical software used in manufacturing, retail, transport, and investment.

Bortz Media & Sports Group, who makes schedules for the NBA and NHL, also uses Dash products. On its website, Bortz claims to provide "custom user interfaces for leagues to view, analyze and produce a variety of schedule reports." The company brings more than 20 years of experience to the table when helping in tasks, such as planning, creating custom software, developing schedules, league review, and presentation.

scheduling on the fly

Big matchups

A schedule is "potentially the league's most critical marketing tool," according to the Bortz website. Pro-baseball and -football executives, as well as television networks, operate with the hope and intention that good schedules will get fans interested.

FOX Sports, which has the same parent company as AskMen.com, chose to commence its 2006 MLB coverage on May 20 with four interleague matchups. These matchups included the Subway Series between the Yankees and Mets at Shea Stadium in New York. The network also hyped an opener between the world champion Chicago White Sox and their cross-town rival Cubs.

The Yankees are slated to make nine appearances on the network, while the 2006 schedule includes eight games each for the Red Sox, Braves, Mets, and Cubs.

Football fans have a few months to get psyched up for some big matchups. One of those will take place on October 8, when the Dallas Cowboys take on the Philadelphia Eagles. Philly fans will be afforded the opportunity to unleash their frustrations on the outspoken Terrell Owens, who will be facing his old team.

A few weeks later, on Christmas Day, the Eagles travel to Dallas for a rematch on national television. The league wanted to give fans a good reason to head from the tree to the television — eggnog in hand. That game is part of a doubleheader; a matchup between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets will complete the twinbill.

NBC will broadcast a battle between the Manning brothers on September 10, as Peyton's Indianapolis Colts will clash with Eli's New York Giant squad.

For the first time in league history, three games are scheduled for Thanksgiving Day; one of them — a contest between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos — will be the first game ever for the NFL Network.

Hurricane Katrina

The storm that wiped out much of New Orleans did the same to schedules for the Saints and Hornets. Last season, the NFL franchise did not play a single game in the Louisiana Superdome, which suffered damage and had to serve as shelter for about 25,000 evacuees. The Saints played so-called home games on the LSU campus and at the Alamodome. According to published reports, the three games in San Antonio had an overall impact of $25 million for the city.